Apparatus for viewing stereoscopic pictures



Nov. 6, 1951 MAHLER APPARATUS FOR VIEWING STEREOSCOPIC PICTURES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed March 4, 1946 it? 1a.

INVENTOR JOSE-PH MAHLE-R ATTORl EY Nov. 6, 1951 J, MAHLER 2,574,186

APPARATUS FOR VIEWING STEREOSCOPIC PICTURES Filed March 4, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 fig 3 INVEN'I'OR JOSEPH M HHLER ATTORN Y Patented Nov. 1951 APPARATUS FOR VIEWING STEREOSCOPIO PICTURES Joseph Mahler, Brookline, Mass., assignor to American Optical Company,

a voluntary association of Massa- Masa, chusetta Southbridge,

Application March 4, 1946. Serial No. 651,695

Claims.

This inventionreiates to new and useful improvements on the stereoscopic apparatus described in my Patent No. 1,992,872, February 26, 1935, and more especially to such apparatuses modified for directly viewing stereoscopic pictures formed in light polarizing transparent material, the polarizing axis of the layer of material in which one of said pictures is formed being at right angles to that of the layer in which the other is formed, as more fully described in the patent to Land and Mahler, No.- 2,203,687,'June 11, 1940, and known as polarizing stereoscopic transparencies. v

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, convenient and portable means whereby an individual may directly view such transparencies in relief.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a polarizing stereoscopic transparency viewing apparatus embodying my invention wherein the focusing means is a'refractor.

'Figs. 1a and 1b are plan views of split fiel polarizers herein more fully described.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a modification thereof, wherein the focusing means is a reflector.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a bottle of curvilinear cross section containing a liquid and embodying a polarizer, the focusing means in such case being said liquid.

,In the particular drawings selected for more fully disclosing the principle underlying my invention, and which are to be considered as illustrative, merely, and not restrictive, Ill represents a casing wherein a disposed near one end thereof a split-field polarizer I i, comprising a light trans mitting member, such as a translucent plate 12 having two adjoining polarizing fields I3, it, the polarization axes of which are at an angle of ninety degrees to each other. The polarizing axes of the fields l3, ll may be horizontal and vertical, respectively, (Fig. 1a), or may be inclined 45 to the left and right, respectively, of the vertical line dividing the two fields of said polarizer (Fig. 1b).

Between the polarizer and the end of the casing is a source of artificial light, such as an incandescent lamp l5, or, as indicated in Fig. 2, the polarizer may form the outer end of the casing, and, in such case, it may be exposed to any suitable source of illumination, either natural or artificial.

The other end of the casing is provided with an inspection aperture ii, in which a magnifying fracting lens 20.

lens l1 may be placed, if desired. Intermediate the ends of the casing are supports I8 01 any.

suitable sort, for holding a polarizing stereoscopic transparency i9. Suitably associated with the transparency, in the present instance, is a magnifying means, shown in Figure 1 as a repolarized light rays will'each pass through the focusing means; that is, the'lens 20 of Fig. 1, if

the lens I! thereof is not employed, and the compound lens ll-l'ilof Fig. 1, if both such lenses are employed, the same constituting a single focusing means.

When light source 15 is energized a diverging cone of polarized light rays is sent out from each point on the polarizer ll. However, for

' convenience of. illustration, the paths of said diverging cones are traced as a composite beam fromv each field l3 and I4. Lines a and a represent the boundaries of the beam starting from field I3 and b and b represent the boundaries of the beam starting from field I4 of the polarizer. As each of said two composite beams of light pass through lens 20 it is turned in a direction determined by the line from its originating field of the polarizer I I to the first nodal point of lens 20. Thus, beam aa' is directed to the right and beam bb' to the left. Lens I! has the effect of decreasing the angle at which said beams aa and bb' diverge. It will be readily apparent that the extension of the wall of the casing l0 beyond lenses 20 and I! causes the width of the polarized beams passing through aperture 16 to be somewhat restricted so that beam a-a actually has the width of a -a' when leaving aperture 5 and beam b-b' that of b -b'. It will be readily seen that, although at lens 20 beams a-a' and b--b' coincide, the efiect of the lens is to cause said beams somewhere in space beyond the lens to again assume their separate entity as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, the eyes of the observer maybe so spaced from the aperture l6 that when they are directed toward the stereoscopic transparency 19, his eye L will be located within the limits of beam b -b' and outside beam a -a while eye It will be within the limits of beam a -a' but outside beam bb'. At said positions, eye L will receive only polarized light from field it while his eye R will receive only polarized light from field l3.

The axes of polarization of said fields of the The split-field polarizer is 3 polarizer are so disposed with respect to the polarization axes of the layers of material of the stereoscopic transparency I 9 in which are formed the pictures or images making up the polarizing stereoscopic transparencies, that the axis of polarization of one of the images is parallel to the axis of one of the fields of the polarizer l2 and the other normal thereto. Thus, when the eyes are positioned, as above, one eye will see only the picture formed in one of said layers and the other eye will see only the picture formed in the other of said layers, 1. e., the polarization axes of the layers of material in which said pictures are formed will each be parallel to the polarization axis of one of the fields of said split-field polarizer and perpendicular to the axis of the other of said fields; for example, the right eye will see only the right eye polarizing stereoscopic transparency picture and the left eye will see only the left eye polarizing stereoscopic transparency picture. Thus, a stereoscopic effect is secured, i. e., the picture will appear to the eye in three dimensions or in relief.

In the modification shown in Fig; 2, the focusing means is the concave mirror 2|. It will be obvious that the mode of operation thereof is the same as that above described in connection with Figure 1. Thus aa' illustrate the path of the light rays from polarizing field I4 and bb' from polarizing field I! as they are projected toward the mirror II and reflected thereby through the stereoscopic transparency is to the observer's eyes when positioned as related above. In this modification, also, as in Fig. l. the walls ll of the casing cause the width of the two beams passing through aperture IE to be restricted so that beam a--a.' actually has the width of a a -a' and beam b-b' the width of b-b". It

will be understood, of course, that in Figure 2 the source i5 may be enclosed within the casing as described in connection with Figure 1.

In Fig. 2, the polarizer will be placed in the focal plane of the focusing means l1--2|.

Among various uses to which my invention may be applied, I have shown in Fig. 3, an advertising device wherein a bottle 22 has embodied in one portion thereof a split-field polarizer ll having two fields II, I 4, such as already described, or of any other suitable construction. At 23 is represented the cork or closure of a bottle. Disposed upon another portion of the bottle, diametrically opposite the polarizer, is a label 24, picture, or other device in the form of a polarizing stereoscopic transparency. The liquid contained in the bottle preferably should be transparent or, in any event, translucent. The focusing means corresponding to the lens 20 of Fig. 1 will be the liquid 25 contained within the bottle, the portion of which bearing the transparency is curvilinear in transverse section. The light rays from the two polarizing fields i3 and I4 will follow paths through the label 24- similar to those of the modifications shown in Figs. 1 and 2. and in Fig. 3, are illustrated as following paths defined by aa' and b-b'. It will be obvious that the observer looking at the transparency 24 will see in relief the label, or other image, embodied in the layers thereof.

In Fig. 2, the mirror 2i and lens I1 constitute the focusing means and the transparent or translucent liquid in the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 3, is the focusing means.

Having thus described illustrative embodiments of my invention, without. however, limit- 4 ing the same thereto, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for viewing pictures stereoscopically, said apparatus comprising light focusing means and a translucent split field polarizer spaced therefrom and adapted to polarize light when passed therethrough, said polarizer embodying a pair of adjoining polarizing fields whose polarization axes are disposed substantially normal to each other, said fields being divided by a plane passing substantially along the optical axis of the focusing means, and said focusi means having curved surfaces such as to cause the light rays from the respective polarizing fields to emerge from the focusing means as a pair of beams of polarized light with one of said beams being in diverging relation to the other beam, whereby when a film embodying a pair of superimposed light polarizing images in offset relation and having their polarizing axis substantially normal with each other and their respective axes parallel with the axis of polarization of the respective fields of the polarizer is positioned adjacent the focusing means and is viewed by an observer having one eye in the path of one of said respective beams of polarized light and the other eye in the path of the other of said beams at a location along said beams not traversed by the other beam, the said images will appear as a stereoscopic picture.

2. Apparatus for viewing pictures stereoscopically, said apparatus comprising light focusing means and a translucent split field polarizer spaced approximately at the focal plane thereof and adapted ,to polarize light when passed therethrough, said polarizer embodying a pair of adjoining polarizing fields whose polarization axes are disposed substantially normal to each other, said fields being divided by a plane passing substantially along the optical axis of the focusing means, and said focusing means having curved surfaces such as to cause the light rays from the respective polarizing fields to emerge from the focusing means as a pair of beams of polarized light with one of said beams being in diverging relation to the other beam, whereby when a film embodying a pair of superimposed light polarizing images in offset relation and having their polarizing axis substantially normal with each other and their respective axes parallel with the axis of polarization of the respective fields of the polarizer is positioned adjacent the focusing means and is viewed by an observer havin one eye in the path of one of said respective beams of polarized light and the other eye in the path of the other of said beams at a location along said beams not traversed by the other beam, the said images of said film will appear as a stereoscopic picture.

. 3. Apparatus for viewing pictures stereoscopically, said apparatus comprising a positive lens element and a translucent split field polarizer spaced therefrom at approximately the focal plane of,the lens element and adapted to polarize light when passed therethrough, said polarizer embodying a pair of adjoining polarizing fields whose polarization axes are disposed substantially normal to each other, said fields being divided by a plane passing substantially along the optical axis of the lens element, and said lens element having curved surfaces such as to cause the light rays from the respective polarizing fields to emerge from the lens element as a pair 76-91 beams of polarized light with one of said beams being in diverging relation to the other beam, whereby when a film embodying a pair of superimposed light polarizing images in ofiset relation and having their polarizing axis substantially normal with each other and their respective axes parallel with the axis of polarization of the respective fields of the polarizer is positioned adjacent the lens element and is viewed by an observer having one eye in the path of one of said respective beams of polarized light and the other eye in the path of the other of said beams at a location along said beams not traversed by the other beam, the said images will appear as a stereoscopic picture.

4. Apparatus for viewing pictures stereoscopically, said apparatus comprising illuminating means, light focusing means and a translucent split field polarizer intermediate the illuminating means and the light focusing means in spaced relation to the focusin means, said polarizer being adapted to polarize light when passed therethrough and embodying a pair of adjoining polarizing fields whose polarization axes are disposed substantially normal to each other, said fields being divided by a plane passing substantially along the optical axis of the focusing means and said focusing means having curved surfaces such as to cause the light rays from the respective polarizing fields to emerge from the focusing means as a pair of beams of polarized light with one of said beams being in diverging relation to the other beam, whereby when a film embodying a pair of superimposed light polarizing images in'oflset relation and having their polarizing axis substantially normal with each other and having their respective axes parallel with the axis of polarization of the respective fields of the polarizer 13 positioned adjacent the focusing means and is viewed by an observer having one eye in the path of one of said respective beams of polarized light and the other eye in the path of the other of said beams at a location along said beams not traversed by the other beam, the said images will appear as a stereoscopic picture.

5. Apparatus for viewing pictures stereoscopically, said apparatus comprising illuminating means, a pair of spaced axially aligned positive lenses, light focusing mean and a translucent split field polarizer disposed intermediate the illuminating means and the first lens in spaced relation to the lens, said polarizer being adapted to polarize, light when passed therethrough and embodying a pair of adjoining polarizing fields whose polarization axes are disposed substantially normal to each other, said fields being divided by a plane passing substantially along the optical axis of the focusing means, a support for a film disposed intermediate the two lenses and said focusing means having curved surfaces such as to cause the light rays from the respective polarizing fields to emerge from the focusing means as a pair of beams of polarized light with one of said beams being in diverging relation to the other beam, whereby when a film embodying a pair of superimposed light polarizing images in offset relation and having their polarizing axis substantially normal with each other is positioned in said support with their axis parallel with the axis of polarization of one of the respective fields of the polarizer and is viewed by an observer having one eye in the path of one of said respective beams of polarized light and the other eye in the path of the other of said beams at a location along said beams not traversed by the other beam, the said images will appear as a stereoscopic picture, and said second lens having image magnifying characteristics.

JOSEPH MAHLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,503,766 Pictet et al. Aug. 5, 1924 1,931,228 Kitroser Oct. 1'7, 1933 2,165,974 Land July 11, 1939 2,203,687 Land et a1. June 11, 1940 2,240,703 Kober May 6, 1941 2,255,631 Schulman Sept. 9, 1941 

